TiAl-M (M = Ag, Cr) thin films were synthesised by sputtering and heat-treated in order to obtain the γ-TiAl phase. The results showed that the addition of silver or chromium does not lead to a significant improvement of the mechanical properties of the γ-TiAl structure. However, structural results obtained from similar materials produced by foundry confirm that sputtering might be used as a screening technique, in order to give helpful information for the future production of better performance bulk (titanium aluminide)-based materials.